2025-26 Annual Report
Leading the way as the premier Pre K-8th grade school district in Orange County.
"It is our collective responsibility to educate and empower all students to pursue excellence through a distinctive, rigorous, and engaging academic experience."
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D. — Superintendent
Our Strategic Plan WSD Inspires! — Five Focus Areas, 2023–29
In 2023, Westminster School District adopted a six-year strategic plan shaped by teachers, parents, city partners, and staff. This report follows the same structure, sharing what each focus area looked like in practice this year.
1.0
Academic Achievement
2.0
Safety & Wellness
3.0
Fiscal Solvency
4.0
Community
5.0
Leadership
Academic Achievement and Continuous Innovation
3
3-time CA Distinguished School: Stacey Middle School
5
Dual Language Immersion campuses
3/3
Schools to Watch, 2025
$10k
AVID Angel Scholarships, 2 winnersAll three WSD middle schools — Johnson, Stacey, and Warner — earned California Schools to Watch recognition in May 2025. Our Dual Language Immersion program, now serving Spanish and Vietnamese pathways at five campuses, marked the 10th anniversary of its Vietnamese program in June 2025 and remains the first of its kind in the state. Stacey Middle School earned its third Distinguished School honor this cycle, named an Achievement Gap Closer for accelerating progress among historically underserved student groups.
AVID Angels Scholars
Johnson's Laurie Lam and Warner's Katie Rojas each earned $10,000 scholarships; Rojas's t-shirt design was also selected as the program's national winning design.Fund for Teachers Grant
Warner science teacher Renee Balboa is joining an Arctic Discovery Educators Expedition in Alaska.Stacey eSports
Won its district league championship and placed in the top 8 at every Orange County multi-district tournament it entered.Warner Archery
The team placed 2nd at the California State Championship in April 2026.Schroeder AVID Showcase
Schroeder College & Career Academy holds AVID Showcase School designation for college and career readiness.Scouts After-School Program
WSD launched the pilot program to introduce students to leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and character development through engaging, age-appropriate activities — offered at no cost.
17/17
All 17 schools: California PBIS Coalition recognition, 2025–26
2
Platinum schools: Stacey & Warner
95.7%
95.7% districtwide attendance rate, up from 95.43%
80+
80+ staff trained in threat assessment & response
Student and Staff Safety and Wellness
Every WSD campus earned California PBIS Coalition recognition for 2025–2026 in September 2025. WSD's safety approach goes beyond locks and cameras: a Community Schools framework connects student wellness, family engagement, attendance, and prevention into one coordinated system built around the whole child, as described in the district's July 2026 feature "Beyond Locks and Cameras."
Community Schools Framework
Four pillars — integrated student support, family partnerships, expanded learning opportunities, and collaborative leadership.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
Universal, targeted, and intensive levels of support, from schoolwide social-emotional learning to wraparound case management for students who need it most.
Attendance Recovery
The district recovered more than 2,000,000 instructional minutes year over year, and the number of students with 10 or more absences declined districtwide.
Threat Assessment Training
More than 80 employees — counselors, school psychologists, specialists, administrators, and district leaders — completed coordinated threat assessment and response training with the Orange County Department of Education and Orange County law enforcement agencies.
"The safest schools are built on trust. While secure campuses and emergency preparedness remain essential, we believe true safety is created through relationships, a sense of belonging, and strong partnerships with families."
— Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D., Superintendent
Fiscal Solvency and Organizational Health
$2.39M
Taxpayer savings
Aa2
Moody's Aa2 rating affirmed
3.6x
Bond subscription rate
3.09%
Final rate
Strong academics depend on strong stewardship behind the scenes. On April 1, 2026, WSD completed the sale of its 2026 General Obligation Refunding Bonds, a refinancing that will return $2.39 million in savings directly to local taxpayers through lower property taxes — exceeding the $2.0 million originally projected when the Board approved the move in January 2026. Moody's affirmed the district's 'Aa2' bond rating throughout the process, citing strong fiscal management and property wealth. The district received over $99 million in orders for just $28 million in available bonds, a 3.6 times subscription rate from 15 investor groups, giving the underwriter leverage to secure a final interest rate of 3.09% including all fees.
Board President David Johnson framed the result within a six-objective approach to fiscal solvency (May 2026):
"This refinancing is a direct reflection of the financial discipline our district has maintained over many years. The trust investors placed in us helped deliver savings that are real and meaningful for the families in our community."
— Manuel Cardoso, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services
17
Campuses, each a distinct specialty program
Apr 14, 2026
Mendez Freedom Trail dedicated
62K+
Pounds of food distributed
1,800
Backpacks provided
Community Connections
Westminster's open enrollment policy means no family is bound to a single attendance boundary — every one of our 17 schools offers a distinct specialty program, from Computer Science at Finley to Visual and Performing Arts at Webber to Environmental Science at Fryberger, so families can choose the program that fits their child.
This year brought several milestones in the district's civic partnerships:
"As a parent, nothing matters more than knowing my child is safe when they walk into school each morning. WSD understands that school safety is about so much more than locked doors and emergency plans. It's about creating an environment where every child feels physically safe, emotionally supported, and connected to caring adults."
— Melissa Duffey, Westminster Council PTA President and WSD parent
Leadership Development and Employee Success
A district is only as strong as the people inside it. Three recognitions anchor this year's leadership spotlight:
Ignite
We challenge and inspire all students to reach their highest level of achievement in order to thrive as confident, future-ready, and life-long learners
Connect
We engage across diverse communities by advancing educational opportunities to ensure student success.
Create
We foster a dynamic learning community that celebrates innovation and inspires intellectual curiosity.
Trust
We earn the confidence of our educational community partners through accountability, transparency, and authenticity.
Elevate
We relentlessly pursue a growth-minded culture of excellence, perseverance, and self-discipline.
Model
We model servant leadership by supporting each other to create organizational health and inspire excellence.
WSD's goal is to be the safest elementary school district in Orange County — where every student feels safe enough to learn and supported enough to thrive, per the district's July 2026 "Beyond Locks and Cameras" feature. This is a stated goal, not a ranking or award — worth keeping that distinction clear in how it's phrased on the page.